TAKES A LOT OF EFFORT TO FIND BARGAINS HERE We were told that Wilderness Exchange Unlimited is the place to come when you find REI too expensive. Wilderness Exchange is across the street from the flagship REI megastore. Park in the large lot (first hour free) next to Wilderness Exchange. We always enjoy hunting for bargains but it was not fun going through the mostly meh merchandise here. Hiking wear was still expensive even with tags showing markdowns of 25-50% off. We found the choices for women's clothing limited and less appealing (ugly colors and zero style) than the men's clothing. Plus secondhand clothing was mixed in with unworn merchandise. As for camping and hiking gear, it's hit or miss. Gear is expensive here even if it is marked down. If you are a hiking or camping newbie, bring a friend who can advise you about brands, quality and prices plus do some comparison shopping at REI. Confirm Wilderness Exchange's limited return and warranty policy. read more

Andy is awesome and was super helpful all around! Super knowledgeable and was passionate about it!

The experience I had using the Wilderness Exchange consignment process has been terrible. They transitioned systems and I have not received a payment for goods sold despite speaking with 4 store employees, their accountant, going into my bank and also coming into the store personally to resolve the problem. My time has been wasted and the service I have received has been a complete run round. I have been a tried and true consignment user and customer at the store but never again. I recommend that others do not use the consignment system. Such a shame for what I used to consider a great store. read more

Awesome friendly staff. Store had what I needed for backpacking at expected rates. There is a downstairs with more stuff as well.

Wonderful experience here! We had a subpar experience in one of the big retail stores, and it was quite the opposite when we came to Wilderness Exchange. We had a very knowledgeable sales person (Cayden) who helped us find the right backpack, and was very knowledgeable about how to get the right fit as well the quality of various brands. read more

Went to check out some rock climbing shoes. Can't say I'm unimpressed. Great workers and well informed. I appreciate that they are fighting against rei with the same prices or cheaper. Support the smaller business and say hi to the nice people. read more

Have had good experiences, but called today to do consignment an hour before they closed. Got to the shop at 7:20 and was told they won't do intake after 7pm. Would have been nice to know instead of wasting 45 minutes driving to find that out. Also, the lady was just plain rude when I showed up. Like offended that I asked to consign. Odd experience. read more

This shop will be my new go to for all outdoor gear. They have such a good selection of clothing and gear, and they're all offered at some sort of discount (30%-70%). I appreciate that this shop offers a mix of consignment and new with tags. read more

This store is serious. I felt a little tense walking in, because I am just getting into some more legit outdoor activities. Today, I was only looking for a pair of shoes for rocky hikes. I forgot his name, but Despot's doppelganger knew exactly what I needed, and was patient and kind and helped me find a pair of shoes that best suited the shape of my feet. I didn't buy anything else, but they have a great sample/consignment section, the prices were pretty amazing considering how expensive this kind of stuff can be. Definitely recommended, I'll be back to take off my training wheels the next time I'm in Denver ;) read more

Wilderness Exchange Unlimited - Heart eyes! - Sports Wear Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Had never gone skiing before in my life -- Sydney AKA Syd was SO HELPFUL and amazing! She helped me with zero judgment or condescension, and managed to somehow locate snow pants and other first-timer gear that would fit me at barely 5'2". Just a totally amazing employee who went above and beyond, and I'm sad that she no longer works there. Someone please get in touch with her -- I was supposed to have written this review months ago, and had put it off until now! In general, you can't beat the prices at Wilderness Exchange, and everyone there is just so sweet and kind and wonderful. No sports snobs to be found, only people who genuinely want to be there for you, even if you're a total noob and have no idea what you're even supposed to be buying. Thankful that they didn't upsell me on anything unnecessary -- I got exactly what I needed (jacket, gloves, base layers, goggles, pants), and had a killer first ski lesson ever thanks to Wilderness Exchange. Thanks, y'all! read more

We had great service today when my husband needed some things to get his new split board ready to go. Cybil was so helpful in showing us how things work, what to buy, what not to buy, throughly explained the types of beacons and even recommended places to go and guidebooks to buy. She was so knowledgeable because she goes out and uses the products and backcountry boards herself. So nice to have someone who knows what they're talking about helping you in a store. And this is not the first time we've had great customer service at Wilderness Exchange, so glad to have this store around! read more

This store has been here forever! The area has been changing rapidly within the past 15-20 years, but parts of the area are still the same. I love stopping in here whenever I am nearby to see what deals they might have on sample items from Patagonia or Prana. However, the staff could really use some guidance on interacting with the public. They seem more engaged with interacting with each other (the staff who work downstairs mostly), than interacting with the public. I have found that the female staff is much more helpful and friendly than the male staff. It would be great if they would acknowledge people and offer to help if needed. read more

This place is great! I came into this store a week ago after REI referred me over here because they didn't have everything in stock that I needed. Allan helped me pick out everything I needed including a sleeping pad, down jacket, and rain jacket. He was knowledgeable, honest, and helpful. I loved that they have sample jackets! I will definitely come back here! read more

Wilderness Exchange Unlimited - Marmot Down Jacket - Sports Wear Near Me - Denver, Colorado

They must be doing something right because they were the only place I could find fuel! Not even REI had any in stock. Another solid reason to support a small, local business! read more

Wilderness Exchange Unlimited staff answers all my questions. I have been here numerous time but with this recent visit, I need to find some stuffs for my cousins who live back in Singapore. They wanted some climbing or "unique" related stuffs. With this recent visit, unfortunately, they don't offer the sizing that I am looking for. But I managed to purchase something for myself. Nevertheless, I don't mind returning when needed. They also offer those consignment items downstairs be it BRAND NEW or Gently Used items. Wilderness Exchange Unlimited 2401 15th St, Suite 100 Denver, CO 80202 Tel : (303)-964-0708 read more

Today I stopped in with my son to do some shopping and was told I had to keep my "backpack" behind the counter. I told him he was welcome to check my "backpack" when I left but I wasn't comfortable leaving my personal property outside of my view. I asked him if they ask for women to leave purses behind the counter and he said no. So we left and won't ever be coming back. 1. My "backpack" is essentially a purse with an extra strap. It's a poor excuse for a backpack really. In fact it was sold in the "purse" section of the department store. 2. I have never been asked to leave it behind the counter before. Been in many times. Bottom line I'm not going to shop in a store that is so paranoid they treat customers as criminals. I appreciate there are shoplifters in the world but asking customers to hand over their personal property to strangers crosses the line. You are inadvertently telling customers, "I don't trust you to not steal, so you must trust me to hold your property if you want to shop in my store." read more

Wilderness Exchange Unlimited - This is the offensive "backpack" I was asked to leave behind the counter. - Sports Wear Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Calling all thrill seekers, especially the single ones.... Wilderness Exchange is one of Denver's hidden secrets, yet the building and sign is one of the most visible off of I-25, yet nobody seems to notice this independent beauty as it sits in the shadow of the Flagship REI off of 15th. I always notice people standing outside and kind of thinking about entering, and when you do go inside you wonder what took you so long to get in there in the first place. Most items are used, but they also sell tons of newbies too as well as deal snaggers that are offered at closeout prices. I mean, there are some items that you are encouraged to buy new, a climbing harness for example, but climbing shoes... Come on, those are better broken in anyway, and at this point, if you are a climber or trying to get into climbing, then your feet are so gnarled up and disgusting that it wont matter if you catch some fungus.... Saving money with shoes means your well earned money can be spent elsewhere on gear. Pick up more than just closeout backpacks, sleeping bags, mountaineering axes, and tents, you sure might pick up even a date... If your into the whole adventure outdoorsy thing, and I will assume you are since you live in Colorado, you might be active, then head on in to WE on the weekend, look your fittest and schlep around the store. Be on the lookout for the cool cat singles, prowling the sale items and then jokingly tell them that you saw that item first. * Wilderness star one is for a great urban location ** Eco star two is for being on the green scene, but selling used items and making them new again *** Yeah, you betcha star three is for having enough guts to hold out in their 15th street location, even when America's biggest outdoor gear seller pops down next to you **** You so nice star four is for friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff ***** Our final star is for the singles scene... Do what you like doing most and you are bound to be drawn to that special someone read more

Wilderness Exchange Unlimited - Sports Wear Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I stumbled upon this place after browsing for some camping gear at REI. My boyfriend was looking for a better quality sleeping bag and the guy downstairs was super helpful in giving us a full explanation of what to look for in sleeping bags (synthetic vs real down). He also gave us general camping tips like stuffing the sleeping bag cover with clothes to use as a pillow instead of buying a travel pillow. He could have just encouraged us to buy some pillows and make more money off of it, but didn't. What I really like about this place is that they sell used items that are still in good quality! My boyfriend ended getting a used Marmot sleeping bag with real down for 100 bucks and I got a pair of REI hiking pants for 22. For used items, it's not the cheapest I think, but since outdoor clothing and gear are usually pretty pricey to start, I thought they were good deals. I would definitely want to come back here to browse for outdoor goods when I need them! One thing to note about this place is that they check-in your bags and don't provide bags after purchase, so don't forget to bring your own shopping bag! read more

Wilderness Exchange, I wouldn't trade you in for anything. Needed a couple of new sleeping bags for my honey's and my backpacking adventures. And at our age we've decided to go ultra-light. Tried to buy new bags at REI, usually my favorite sporting goods supplier, but they didn't sell my top choice--the Alpinlite from Western Mountaineering out of San Jose. A primo bag with 850 fill goose down that weighs in at well under 2 lbs. Wilderness Exchange, however, came through big time and got the 2 bags at a great discount. A combination of perfect timing (my order came through during their once a year sale), and sweet-as-can-be staffers (hiya Andrea and Bryan!:), couldn't have been better to deal with. All-in-all, a perfect wilderness experience. Go buy stuff from them. They're radical and a half. read more

They sold me a used demo set of BC skiis and skins and boots. When I first used them 3 months later I discovered they the skins were 2 ". Too short for the skiis. I went back to the store and they said " oh you weren't supposed to get those skins they went with different skiis, you have to give them back , but oh yeah we'll sell you some others not cut or made special for that brand and we'll even give you a discount, hows 20% off sound. WTF ? You sold me the wrong ones and now want to take those back and sell me new ones?? And the salesperson was extremely rude acting as if I was stupid because I didn't check the skins and skiis to see if they matched lengths. So I guess the first salesperson that told me they were a match is not responsible. I will never go back. REI is right across the street and they Always stand behind their sales read more

Maybe it's because I'm a newb when it comes to buying ski gear and winter clothes (I'm a Texan) but I was so impressed with this store. A mix of new and used products, they have it all. Ski and climbing equipment? Check. Shoes, clothes, helmets, etc. They even have a huge selection of used clothing/shoes/equipment downstairs. Which was the main reason I came here. I ended up getting some boarding pants for only 20 bucks! They even have a dressing room. The used clothing were well organized and they had a varied selection of sizes and brands (Northface!). You can seriously spend hours in this place (it's not huge but it's packed full of goodies) trying to find deal after deal. read more

If you taste is boujie but your paycheck is not this is the place to check out! They have a great consignment section and their discounted jackets and gently used camping gears. I have scored some name brand camping gears/jackets/base layers for a fraction of the price that you'd pay at REI. Granted the items may be gently used or from the prev. season, but they worked just as good as new and I have never had any issues with it. A big shout out to Jenna ( I hope I got her name right..)who helped my friend and I to pick out sleeping bags for our UT trip! She was extremely knowledgeable and she gave us plenty of tips and suggestion to stay warm. Support local business! Come to Wildy! read more

I'm so glad my friend told me about this place. I'm going on a three day trip that will require some gear, but I really didn't want to spend a ton since I won't use them often. The consignment option was perfect for me!! Thomas, the dales rep was amazing. Helped me think of a few different things. Really very helpful and nice. Thanks for the great experience! read more

MUST STOP here if you are in Denver! I am a repeat customer for life and wish more stores like this existed throughout the nation! I got the best deals on BRAND NEW Patagonia climbing pants before it was release on the market and paid a fraction of the price. I'm so please with every visit I make to this location. I also love how you can get casual shoes here if you need to do so! read more

I took it as a good omen that I scored rock star parking directly at the front door with 30 minutes left on the meter! I brought in a box of gently used assorted camping, hiking, and mountain biking clothes, shoes, and gear that I originally intended to sell on eBay. But the thought of creating all the listings, individually packing each item, and making multiple trips to the post office suddenly seemed overwhelming and annoying. I decided to try my luck at Wilderness Exchange instead. I came in on a weekday afternoon and, thankfully, the intake person was able to review my items right away. He took everything except my road bike shoes and explained that specialty bike equipment doesn't sell well since they aren't a bike store. Fair enough. He also made sure I understood the selling policy (60-40 split, chose payment or store credit, they will keep your things on the sales floor for 8 weeks after which you have 3 weeks to come pick up any unsold items or they will be donated) and told me to look out for an email with information on how to track the status of my items. If you have any sales, a check will be sent to you around the first of the month, minus a $0.50 mailing fee. How easy is that?! Through the ConsignorAccess website, I was amazed to see that my first item sold on the first day, the second item sold on the second day and two more things sold within the first week. I loved being able to track both my sold and unsold items. I believe the pricing was fair and I probably would not have made as much on eBay. Also, once I dropped everything off, my work was finished and I just sat back and watched the dollars in my account increase. I ended up selling 10 out of 14 items and left the rest for donation. Thank you, Wilderness Exchange, for an excellent consignment experience. I'll see you soon with all my winter clothes and gear! read more

This is a cool store, almost like a camping thrift store but with new stuff. Super cool, the up stairs is mostly climbing stuff. Walk down stairs and check out the clothes, camping and hiking gear. They have great stuff and great prices! The prices really are great, you'll find awesome new gear for a much better price then anywhere else. The stores is also pet friendly which is cool to being the furry friends. If you are driving though Denver like we were seriously stop by and check it out! You'll love it! read more

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So glad I found this place. Colby was super helpful and assisted me in buying new NTN boots with custom foot beds. I went to 2 other ski gear stores before coming here to Wilderness Exchange. Neither of the other stores took the time to understand my needs like Colby. read more

I was advised by a few friends to take my outdoor shopping needs here and can confidentiality say that I was not let down! Upon my immediate entrance an employee (Allan) walked me through the shop and even picked out a few different items for me. Tell ya what, I wish more of my friends were like this guy Allan. Wilderness Exchange can expect me back after I fall of my MTB again and need a new pair of shorts #KarlRockNation #RockOn read more

I find it odd that this is right across the street from the REI flagship store, but it made it very easy to walk across the street and confirm pricing. And, yes, Wilderness Exchange was less expensive, happily. For whatever reason, this store feels more like what an outdoors/camping/climbing/hiking store should feel like. It's much more casual, much less corporate feeling and way more inviting. Michelle helped me pick out climbing shoes, which, when you wear a size 6, but have a wide foot and a high instep can be nothing short of agonizing. She was patient and brought me shoe after shoe until we found the magic shoe in the right size. The one downside is that their return policy is a little more stringent than REI. Once you wear the shoes to climb, they're yours, while REI does have a return policy on worn shoes. read more

The best climbing shop on the front range unless your a gaper and you like bad info on climbing and would rather go accross the street to REI and be misinformed on the how to's of climbing and packing. Don't be a gaper.... read more

Called to ask a simple question and got a response that was ridiculously rude. Sad, looked like a cool place to shop. So much for that

Went in looking to compare some avy bags and realized I also needed to get fired for ski boots. Great local store with tons of technical gear. Our Bridgett was extremely helpful and knowledgeable in both products and was able to quickly narrow down what would work best for me. She was also very personable so we started chatting about other sports and rock climbing came up which she was also very knowledgeable there. She seems to be a perfect fit for the store and it's values! read more

The staff here are generally helpful and knowledgeable. I did buy a pair of telemark skis here, only to find out when I got home that the bindings were too small for my boots. I went back into the store and had to purchase a set of cartridges for the bindings, which cost me an additional 70 dollars. The manager would not give me a discount on the cartridges, saying that I already got a great deal on the skis. I told him I would have never bought the skis had the sales associate known that I would have to buy adjustments for the skis. So I bought a pair of tele skis for 325, but had to spend an additional 70 bucks, and they wouldn't even help me out. Plus it was all their fault, because they didn't inform me as to anything about boot sizing, tele bindings, or the like. I feel like they are a decent store and I like what they are trying to do, but the manager should work with people. read more

Upon a recent visit to Wilderness Exchange, I was incredibly impressed with the staff and their knowledge, friendliness, and willingness to take the time to help me find the right gear for an upcoming backpacking journey. Both times I went in looking for a backpack someone took the time to measure me, talk to me about my needs, try different sizes, and go over all the options I had. It was incredibly helpful and I'm very appreciative of this. Otherwise, the staff is overall very knowledgeable about backpacking, camping, and climbing in particular. No, Wilderness Exchange is not a megastore like REI, and if you are looking for a plethora of options for fancy camping, this is not the store for you. Wilderness Exchange generally carries the best gear, even if that means fewer options. It does not carry fancy (useless) gear like wine glasses and iPhone protectors for camping. But they do carry a great selection of shoes, sleeping bags, camp gear, climbing gear, and also have some terrific specials on clothing. I love this shop and am so excited to get to support a local business. read more

I was looking for trail shoes, the female type. Unfortunately, they barely had anything in my size, and I was advised to try the men's sizes. This does not bode well for my narrow feet with high arches. There were nice bargains to be had, but I ended up going to REI to find a pair of shoes that fit me. read more

I love this place. you can find such great deals and the people that work there are super helpful. It's a little bit like a goodwill experience--you never know whether or not you'll find what you need. It is nice that it's right next to REI, so if I can't find what I need there I just head next-door. Their consignment clothes are pretty awesome. Consignment shoes is a very limited selection and sometimes feels a bit overpriced. They have a ton of climbing equipment. I'm not a climber, but it's kind of cool just to look at it all. read more

Wilderness Exchange is the rock climber's, and mountaineers alike, paradise. I've often come into WildX looking for a pair of consignment rock climbing shoes I can tear the daylight out of for a week of crack climbing in JTree or Eldo. Moreover, WildX boasts discounted items that its overrated neighbor, REI, cannot offer. Finally, the staff at WildX is knowledgeable, friendly, experienced and kind. If you are truly looking for top gear at bottom dollar, look no further than Wilderness Exchange. read more

Best gear shop in Denver. The prices are what stands out at this store as they are consistently the best priced goods that you can find. Only downside would be that their selection while strong is limited and thus you have to be open-minded when looking for anything specific. The twice yearly Gear Swaps that they have are by far the best places to buy gear or sell gear that I have seen. Tons of vendors and regular people get together to sell/barter/trade their gear. Worth visiting just to see the crazy circus that is the Gear Swaps. I have been going here since 2003 (they have moved shops three times since then) and I am continually surprised with their quality and growth over that time period. Best for: rock climbing gear, backcountry skiing gear, mountaineering gear, specialized camping/backpacking gear, and they have a very extensive guidebook selection. read more

So my interaction with the Wilderness Exchange was online. I actually found their amazon marketplace listing through an outdoorgearlab referral. I looked everywhere for the rope I was looking for, but no one had it in stock except for this amazon listing. I was a bit nervous buying a rope off of amazon so I messaged the seller. I am glad I did, he was the most helpful person I have ever dealt with when buying something online. I found the Wilderness Exchange Unlimited website and bought the rope directly from the site online. They offer free shipping on orders over $99, and had a $25 discount on the rope. Plus I got tons of beta on rope management. I got the whole experience of going into a local gear shop, getting hooked up, and getting loaded with pro advice all while online. Incredible and unexpected level of customer service for an online interaction. I will definitely stop by this shop if I ever come visit Colorado again. read more

My wife and I are new to Colorado and planning to take full part in all the great outdoor activities offered. We need a good deal on gear since we are brand new to backpacking and don't want to overspend on our first set of gear. Seems like all signs pointed to Wilderness Exchange Unlimited. Before my visit, I've been checking REI and REI outlet a bunch to familiarize myself with what's out there and how much a big retailer sells it for. My wife and I moseyed around the store for a bit to get acquainted with all the gear. At first view, it seems like it has everything you need. No one was pressuring us. Then we delved into a conversation with an attendent that was incredible. He worked through every question we had about hiking, camping, backpacking, etc. We talked for quite a while, being shown all over the store so we understood the layout as well as specific beginner gear that would suit our needs. The prices all looked great as it is a consignment, overstock, closeout, trade in, used store. We started discussing camping with our dog and the employee wasn't very knowledgable. He grab another employee who gave us every detail we needed about camping with our dog. I don't remember the last time I've had service that thorough. The two employees we talked to were really excited that we were getting into the outdoor activities that Colorado offers. That was a nice bonus and really got us excited about our upcoming adventures. We never felt rushed, which made the experience top notch. We didn't make a purchase while we were there because we want break down all the new knowledge and see what is best for us. However, this will be our store to shop at. I do like that they don't offer tons and tons of brands. Their inventory is diverse enough to not be overwhelming. That's the problem I have with the big retailers - I get stuck in all the brand alluring that I can't make up my mind. Tons of great athletic gear at good prices as well!! Looking to pick up a multipurpose rain/wind jacket for running, biking, and hiking. I would have spent an arm and a leg somewhere else if I didn't see that they have a wide assortment of outdoor apparel - New and Used. read more